THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, December 6, 1994 TAG: 9412060357
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
The Virginian-Pilot has a new front page - on the Internet. The newspaper on Monday began publishing top local stories on the Pilot Online, the paper's supplement for computer users.
Each Monday through Friday, three to 10 local stories will be published on the news page of the Pilot's World Wide Web site. The Web is the fastest-growing part of the Internet, a worldwide network of computers that includes universities, governments, businesses and individuals.
The growth of the Web is being fueled by easy-to-use programs such as Mosaic and Netscape, which bring in text and pictures with the click of a computer mouse.
``This is a tremendous leap into the future for The Pilot,'' said Chris Kouba, managing editor of online services.
``The Internet community has asked us for more local information, and the newspaper is a natural source for that information. . . .
``And with our online discussion groups, we invite our readers to join public debate on the issues of the day - or whatever is on their minds.''
The Pilot Online's first news efforts were on Election Night, when it provided immediate updates on the U.S. Senate race between Charles Robb, Oliver North and Marshall Coleman.
Other parts of the Pilot Online include:
Classified ads online the night before publication.
A searchable library of back issues of The Pilot. This service is being developed in cooperation with Virginia Tech University.
Archives of popular features such as the Gateway computer column and Mal Vincent's movie reviews. A schedule of movie theater times is updated weekly.
Easy-to-use links to the vast resources of the Internet, including continually updated stock quotes.
Real estate listings from GSH Residential, the area's second-largest realty agency, and a guide to flight arrivals and departures at Norfolk International Airport.
The online edition is published via InfiNet, a Norfolk-based company providing home and business access to the Internet. Landmark Communications, The Pilot's parent company, is a partner in InfiNet.
InfiNet also has media partners developing local content in Washington, Richmond, Roanoke, Greensboro, Nashville, Las Vegas and Annapolis, Md.
The Pilot Online is free to InfiNet subscribers and to Internet users at noncommercial local sites. The World Wide Web address is http://www.infi.net/pilot/vpls.html.
For details about InfiNet and the Internet, see the Pilot Online box on Page A2 or call 622-4289.
KEYWORDS: INFINET LANDMARK COMMUNICATIONS VIRGINIAN-PILOT INTERNET by CNB